Communications method and communications apparatus

Abstract

This application provides a communications method and a communications apparatus. A first station in a first multi-link device sends first information to a second multi-link device, where the first information is used to indicate a how often a station in a power saving mode in the first multi-link device receives a beacon frame. In this way, the second multi-link device may learn about, based on the first information, how often a station in the first multi-link device receives a beacon frame, thereby helping the second multi-link device effectively manage a cache service of each station in the first multi-link device and manage a data buffer space.

1 . A method, comprising:
 sending, by a first station (STA) in a station multi-link device (STA MLD), a first frame to an access point (AP) in an access point multi-link device (AP MLD), the first frame comprising first information indicating how often at least one STA of a plurality of STAs in the STA MLD receives a beacon frame when the plurality of STAs in the STA MLD are in a power saving mode,   wherein the first information represents a time interval, a unit of the time interval is a largest time interval of a plurality of beacon frame intervals at which the AP MLD sends beacon frames on a plurality of links corresponding to the plurality of STAs participating in an association establishment process with the AP MLD; and   receiving, by the first STA in the STA MLD, a second frame from the AP in the AP MLD.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving, by the STA MLD, the beacon frame based on the first information. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one STA of the plurality of STAs in the STA MLD receives the beacon frame within the time interval. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein, based on a value of the time interval being greater than a threshold, the second frame carries a status code field set to Denied, and the status code field set to Denied indicates rejecting the association establishment process with the AP MLD. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein, based on a value of the time interval being o, no STA in the STA MLD enters the power saving mode. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first frame is an Association Request frame, and the second frame is an Association Response frame; or   wherein the first frame is a ReAssociation Request frame, and the second frame is a ReAssociation Response frame.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the first information is carried in a listen interval field of the Association Request frame, or   wherein the first information is carried in a listen interval field of the ReAssociation Request frame.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first information enables the AP MLD to determine a lifetime of a cache service of the STA MLD. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first information enables the AP MLD to determine an age function to determine whether to discard a cache service of the STA MLD. 
     
     
         10 . A station multi-link device (STA MLD), comprising a first station (STA), wherein the first STA in the STA MLD is configured to:
 send a first frame to an access point (AP) in an access point multi-link device (AP MLD), the first frame comprising first information indicating how often at least one STA of a plurality of STAs in the STA MLD receives a beacon frame when the plurality of STAs in the STA MLD are in a power saving mode,   wherein the first information represents a time interval, a unit of the time interval is a largest time interval of a plurality of beacon frame intervals at which the AP MLD sends beacon frames on a plurality of links corresponding to the plurality of STAs participating in an association establishment process with the AP MLD; and   receive a second frame from the AP in the AP MLD.   
     
     
         11 . The STA MLD according to  claim 10 , wherein the STA MLD is configured to receive the beacon frame based on the first information. 
     
     
         12 . The STA MLD according to  claim 10 , wherein the at least one STA of the plurality of STAs in the STA MLD receives the beacon frame within the time interval. 
     
     
         13 . The STA MLD according to  claim 10 , wherein, based on a value of the time interval being greater than a threshold, the second frame carries a status code field set to Denied, and the status code field set to Denied indicates rejecting the association establishment process with the AP MLD. 
     
     
         14 . The STA MLD according to  claim 10 , wherein, based on a value of the time interval being o, no STA in the STA MLD enters the power saving mode. 
     
     
         15 . The STA MLD according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the first frame is an Association Request frame, and the second frame is an Association Response frame; or   wherein the first frame is a ReAssociation Request frame, and the second frame is a ReAssociation Response frame.   
     
     
         16 . The STA MLD according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein the first information is carried in a listen interval field of the Association Request frame, or   wherein the first information is carried in a listen interval field of the ReAssociation Request frame.   
     
     
         17 . The STA MLD according to  claim 10 , wherein the first information enables the AP MLD to determine a lifetime of a cache service of the STA MLD. 
     
     
         18 . The STA MLD according to  claim 10 , wherein the first information enables the AP MLD to determine an age function to determine whether to discard a cache service of the STA MLD.